Theeducationofboysatdistantgreatschools，ofyoungmenatdistantcolleges，ofyoungladiesindistantnunneriesandboarding-schools，seems，inthehigherranksoflife，tohavehurtmostessentiallythedomesticmorals，andconsequentlythedomestichappiness，bothofFranceandEngland。Doyouwishtoeducateyourchildrentobedutifultotheirparents，tobekindandaffectionatetotheirbrothersandsisters？putthemunderthenecessityofbeingdutifulchildren，ofbeingkindandaffectionatebrothersandsisters:educatetheminyourownhouse。Fromtheirparent’shousetheymay，withproprietyandadvantage，goouteverydaytoattendpublicschools:butlettheirdwellingbealwaysathome。Respectforyoumustalwaysimposeaveryusefulrestraintupontheirconduct；andrespectforthemmayfrequentlyimposenouselessrestraintuponyourown。Surelynoacquirement，whichcanpossiblybederivedfromwhatiscalledapubliceducation，canmakeanysortofcompensationforwhatisalmostcertainlyandnecessarilylostbyit。Domesticeducationistheinstitutionofnature；publiceducation，thecontrivanceofman。Itissurelyunnecessarytosay，whichislikelytobethewisest。
Insometragediesandromances，wemeetwithmanybeautifulandinterestingscenes，foundedupon，whatiscalled，theforceofblood，oruponthewonderfulaffectionwhichnearrelationsaresupposedtoconceiveforoneanother，evenbeforetheyknowthattheyhaveanysuchconnection。Thisforceofblood，however，Iamafraid，existsno-wherebutintragediesandromances。Evenintragediesandromances，itisneversupposedtotakeplacebetweenanyrelations，butthosewhoarenaturallybredupinthesamehouse；betweenparentsandchildren，betweenbrothersandsisters。Toimagineanysuchmysteriousaffectionbetweencousins，orevenbetweenauntsoruncles，andnephewsornieces，wouldbetooridiculous。
Inpastoralcountries，andinallcountrieswheretheauthorityoflawisnotalonesufficienttogiveperfectsecuritytoeverymemberofthestate，allthedifferentbranchesofthesamefamilycommonlychusetoliveintheneighbourhoodofoneanother。Theirassociationisfrequentlynecessaryfortheircommondefence。Theyareall，fromthehighesttothelowest，ofmoreorlessimportancetooneanother。Theirconcordstrengthenstheirnecessaryassociation；theirdiscordalwaysweakens，andmightdestroyit。Theyhavemoreintercoursewithoneanother，thanwiththemembersofanyothertribe。Theremotestmembersofthesametribeclaimsomeconnectionwithoneanother；and，whereallothercircumstancesareequal，expecttobetreatedwithmoredistinguishedattentionthanisduetothosewhohavenosuchpretensions。Itisnotmanyyearsagothat，intheHighlandsofScotland，theChieftainusedtoconsiderthepoorestmanofhisclan，ashiscousinandrelation。ThesameextensiveregardtokindredissaidtotakeplaceamongtheTartars，theArabs，theTurkomans，and，Ibelieve，amongallothernationswhoarenearlyinthesamestateofsocietyinwhichtheScotsHighlanderswereaboutthebeginningofthepresentcentury。
Incommercialcountries，wheretheauthorityoflawisalwaysperfectlysufficienttoprotectthemeanestmaninthestate，thedescendantsofthesamefamily，havingnosuchmotiveforkeepingtogether，naturallyseparateanddisperse，asinterestorinclinationmaydirect。Theysoonceasetobeofimportancetooneanother；and，inafewgenerations，notonlyloseallcareaboutoneanother，butallremembranceoftheircommonorigin，andoftheconnectionwhichtookplaceamongtheirancestors。
Regardforremoterelationsbecomes，ineverycountry，lessandless，accordingasthisstateofcivilizationhasbeenlongerandmorecompletelyestablished。IthasbeenlongerandmorecompletelyestablishedinEnglandthaninScotland；andremoterelationsare，accordingly，moreconsideredinthelattercountrythanintheformer，though，inthisrespect，thedifferencebetweenthetwocountriesisgrowinglessandlesseveryday。
Greatlords，indeed，are，ineverycountry，proudofrememberingandacknowledgingtheirconnectionwithoneanother，howeverremote。Theremembranceofsuchillustriousrelationsflattersnotalittlethefamilyprideofthemall；anditisneitherfromaffection，norfromanythingwhichresemblesaffection，butfromthemostfrivolousandchildishofallvanities，thatthisremembranceissocarefullykeptup。Shouldsomemorehumble，though，perhaps，muchnearerkinsman，presumetoputsuchgreatmeninmindofhisrelationtotheirfamily，theyseldomfailtotellhimthattheyarebadgenealogists，andmiserablyill-informedconcerningtheirownfamilyhistory。Itisnotinthatorder，Iamafraid，thatwearetoexpectanyextraordinaryextensionof，whatiscalled，naturalaffection。
Iconsiderwhatiscallednaturalaffectionasmoretheeffectofthemoralthanofthesupposedphysicalconnectionbetweentheparentandthechild。Ajealoushusband，indeed，notwithstandingthemoralconnection，notwithstandingthechild’shavingbeeneducatedinhisownhouse，oftenregards，withhatredandaversion，thatunhappychildwhichhesupposestobetheoffspringofhiswife’sinfidelity。Itisthelastingmonumentofamostdisagreeableadventure；ofhisowndishonour，andofthedisgraceofhisfamily。
Amongwell-disposedpeople，thenecessityorconveniencyofmutualaccommodation，veryfrequentlyproducesafriendshipnotunlikethatwhichtakesplaceamongthosewhoareborntoliveinthesamefamily。Colleaguesinoffice，partnersintrade，calloneanotherbrothers；andfrequentlyfeeltowardsoneanotherasiftheyreallywereso。Theirgoodagreementisanadvantagetoall；and，iftheyaretolerablyreasonablepeople，theyarenaturallydisposedtoagree。Weexpectthattheyshoulddoso；
andtheirdisagreementisasortofasmallscandal。TheRomansexpressedthissortofattachmentbythewordnecessitudo，which，fromtheetymology，seemstodenotethatitwasimposedbythenecessityofthesituation。
Eventhetriflingcircumstanceoflivinginthesameneighbourhood，hassomeeffectofthesamekind。Werespectthefaceofamanwhomweseeeveryday，providedhehasneveroffendedus。Neighbourscanbeveryconvenient，andtheycanbeverytroublesome，tooneanother。Iftheyaregoodsortofpeople，theyarenaturallydisposedtoagree。Weexpecttheirgoodagreement；andtobeabadneighbourisaverybadcharacter。Therearecertainsmallgoodoffices，accordingly，whichareuniversallyallowedtobeduetoaneighbourinpreferencetoanyotherpersonwhohasnosuchconnection。
Thisnaturaldispositiontoaccommodateandtoassimilate，asmuchaswecan，ourownsentiments，principles，andfeelings，tothosewhichweseefixedandrootedinthepersonswhomweareobligedtoliveandconverseagreatdealwith，isthecauseofthecontagiouseffectsofbothgoodandbadcompany。Themanwhoassociateschieflywiththewiseandthevirtuous，thoughhemaynothimselfbecomeeitherwiseorvirtuous，cannothelpconceivingacertainrespectatleastforwisdomandvirtue；andthemanwhoassociateschieflywiththeprofligateandthedissolute，thoughhemaynothimselfbecomeprofligateanddissolute，mustsoonlose，atleast，allhisoriginalabhorrenceofprofligacyanddissolutionofmanners。Thesimilarityoffamilycharacters，whichwesofrequentlyseetransmittedthroughseveralsuccessivegenerations，may，perhaps，bepartlyowingtothisdisposition，toassimilateourselvestothosewhomweareobligedtoliveandconverseagreatdealwith。Thefamilycharacter，however，likethefamilycountenance，seemstobeowing，notaltogethertothemoral，butpartlytootothephysicalconnection。Thefamilycountenanceiscertainlyaltogetherowingtothelatter。
Butofallattachmentstoanindividual，thatwhichisfoundedaltogetherupontheesteemandapprobationofhisgoodconductandbehaviour，confirmedbymuchexperienceandlongacquaintance，is，byfar，themostrespectable。Suchfriendships，arisingnotfromaconstrainedsympathy，notfromasympathywhichhasbeenassumedandrenderedhabitualforthesakeofconveniencyandaccommodation；butfromanaturalsympathy，fromaninvoluntaryfeelingthatthepersonstowhomweattachourselvesarethenaturalandproperobjectsofesteemandapprobation；canexistonlyamongmenofvirtue。Menofvirtueonlycanfeelthatentireconfidenceintheconductandbehaviourofoneanother，whichcan，atalltimes，assurethemthattheycannevereitheroffendorbeoffendedbyoneanother。Viceisalwayscapricious:virtueonlyisregularandorderly。Theattachmentwhichisfoundedupontheloveofvirtue，asitiscertainly，ofallattachments，themostvirtuous；soitislikewisethehappiest，aswellasthemostpermanentandsecure。
Suchfriendshipsneednotbeconfinedtoasingleperson，butmaysafelyembraceallthewiseandvirtuous，withwhomwehavebeenlongandintimatelyacquainted，anduponwhosewisdomandvirtuewecan，uponthataccount，entirelydepend。Theywhowouldconfinefriendshiptotwopersons，seemtoconfoundthewisesecurityoffriendshipwiththejealousyandfollyoflove。Thehasty，fond，andfoolishintimaciesofyoungpeople，founded，commonly，uponsomeslightsimilarityofcharacter，altogetherunconnectedwithgoodconduct，uponataste，perhaps，forthesamestudies，thesameamusements，thesamediversions，orupontheiragreementinsomesingularprincipleoropinion，notcommonlyadopted；thoseintimacieswhichafreakbegins，andwhichafreakputsanendto，howagreeablesoevertheymayappearwhiletheylast，canbynomeansdeservethesacredandvenerablenameoffriendship。
Ofallthepersons，however，whomnaturepointsoutforourpeculiarbeneficence，therearenonetowhomitseemsmoreproperlydirectedthantothosewhosebeneficencewehaveourselvesalreadyexperienced。Nature，whichformedmenforthatmutualkindness，sonecessaryfortheirhappiness，renderseverymanthepeculiarobjectofkindness，tothepersonstowhomhehimselfhasbeenkind。Thoughtheirgratitudeshouldnotalwayscorrespondtohisbeneficence，yetthesenseofhismerit，thesympatheticgratitudeoftheimpartialspectator，willalwayscorrespondtoit。Thegeneralindignationofotherpeople，againstthebasenessoftheiringratitude，willeven，sometimes，increasethegeneralsenseofhismerit。Nobenevolentmaneverlostaltogetherthefruitsofhisbenevolence。Ifhedoesnotalwaysgatherthemfromthepersonsfromwhomheoughttohavegatheredthem，heseldomfailstogatherthem，andwithatenfoldincrease，fromotherpeople。Kindnessistheparentofkindness；
andiftobebelovedbyourbrethrenbethegreatobjectofourambition，thesurestwayofobtainingitis，byourconducttoshowthatwereallylovethem。
Afterthepersonswhoarerecommendedtoourbeneficence，eitherbytheirconnectionwithourselves，bytheirpersonalqualities，orbytheirpastservices，comethosewhoarepointedout，notindeedto，whatiscalled，ourfriendship，buttoourbenevolentattentionandgoodoffices；thosewhoaredistinguishedbytheirextraordinarysituation；thegreatlyfortunateandthegreatlyunfortunate，therichandthepowerful，thepoorandthewretched。Thedistinctionofranks，thepeaceandorderofsociety，are，inagreatmeasure，foundedupontherespectwhichwenaturallyconceivefortheformer。Thereliefandconsolationofhumanmiserydependaltogetheruponourcompassionforthelatter。Thepeaceandorderofsociety，isofmoreimportancethaneventhereliefofthemiserable。Ourrespectforthegreat，accordingly，ismostapttooffendbyitsexcess；ourfellow_feelingforthemiserable，byitsdefect。
Moralistsexhortustocharityandcompassion。Theywarnusagainstthefascinationofgreatness。Thisfascination，indeed，issopowerful，thattherichandthegreataretoooftenpreferredtothewiseandthevirtuous。Naturehaswiselyjudgedthatthedistinctionofranks，thepeaceandorderofsociety，wouldrestmoresecurelyupontheplainandpalpabledifferenceofbirthandfortune，thanupontheinvisibleandoftenuncertaindifferenceofwisdomandvirtue。Theundistinguishingeyesofthegreatmobofmankindcanwellenoughperceivetheformer:itiswithdifficultythatthenicediscernmentofthewiseandthevirtuouscansometimesdistinguishthelatter。Intheorderofallthoserecommendations，thebenevolentwisdomofnatureisequallyevident。
